While You Guys Were Out
by Martin III
Summary: [SF CD] Nearly all the adults at Castle Cypress have headed off to war with Iom, except for Mayfair... who has suddenly gone missing.  What are a bunch of adolescents left in charge of a castle to do?  Rated T for minor adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes:

I guess I don't need to say this every time, since I probably won't ever write an alternate universe fic, but: this story is NOT alternate universe. As always, both praise and constructive criticism are appreciated, so post those reviews.

Those who have read my novella "Deanna and Natasha" will recognize some of the original characters. Those of you who haven't read it, and are planning to, should probably do so before reading this one, just to get a slightly stronger sense of why the characters behave as they do.

Technical Notes: The milieu of this fanfic is property of Sega. However, all the characters within are mine, with two exceptions(those who have played Shining Force CD will recognize them). This story is set during Shining Force Gaiden II(Sword of Hajya to us in the USA, and also released as Book 2 of Shining Force CD).

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While You Guys Were Out

plot and script - Martin III

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- Chapter 1 -

The meeting room of Castle Cypress was overstuffed, nearly every soldier and even some non-soldiers having come to learn answers. Since the usual leaders were all absent, no chairman had been declared, leaving no chance for order. The room was a cauldron of near-panicked voices calling out their concerns.

"Where the heck is Natasha, anyway? She'll know what to do."

"Theo's gone to look for her. He'll be back any minute now."

"Unbelievable! In one day, we lose our general and the Sword of Hajya!"

"Think the prince will be angry?"

"Angry? He doesn't need to be angry to punish us for a first order foul-up like this!"

"Oh man... This'll be the first time he's had to decree punishment since he became ruler. How harsh do you think he'll be?"

"Don't we have bigger concerns? We need to get back the Sword and General Mayfair!"

"Yes! We can think about punishment later."

"How!? How are we going to get them back!?"

"Take it easy, Dave."

"QUIET!!!"

A tall beastman bellowed this last statement, and added to his point by giving a hard rap to the wall with his fist. The walls, ceiling, and floor all trembled with the force of his blow. The corresponding shudder that went through everybody who had their feet planted on the floor silenced them. With an acknowledging grunt, the beastman stepped aside for a light-furred kyantol. Most of those present recognized him as Varmo, a mage of some skill.

"It does us no good to throw about fears and speculation like a bunch of goblins lost in a cave," Varmo said, his head raised high for all to see. "So I think we should go ahead with an orderly summation of the situation."

"But Natasha isn't here yet," someone objected.

"She'll be here soon, I'm sure. And we need some discipline to this meeting now."

No sooner had he finished saying this than Theo rushed into the room, panting heavily. His eyes were wide with increasing alarm. "Natasha... Natasha's gone, too," he gasped out. A wave of anxious murmurs went through the crowd.

"Are you sure she isn't at a different post than usual today?" Varmo asked keenly.

Theo nodded, taking another gasp of breath. "I checked all the posts. And I checked to see if she'd gone to the toilet. She's not here. Sergeant Deanna's missing too."

Varmo promptly lost control of them again, as everyone began commenting on Natasha's disappearance in loud whispers. In the midst of the commotion, Theo looked for a place to sit. Most of the people there he knew, either as fellow guards in his squad, friends from before he came to Castle Cypress, or friends of acquaintances. Among the first group was Binuto, a burly, blond-haired boy with an expression like the jagged rocks waiting at the bottom of a cliff. Theo felt bad for him because he'd lost both his parents when King Gadrios was overthrown, but his insensitiveness to other people angered him. Dave was also in their squad; a tall, lanky youth, generally friendly but very excitable. The second group included Amasia, a glossy-furred, blue-haired centaur who had been his neighbor. Her persistent efforts to make herself come off as smart amused Theo, though he hoped she'd grow out of it soon. Among other casual acquaintances, he spotted Jane, who he knew through her friendship with Dawn, a centaur in his squad. She was a lively and stunningly attractive girl, with a stream of long brown hair, a slender waist, and breasts whose maturity could not be concealed by the modest clothing she seemed to prefer. Jane patted an empty seat beside her, giving him an entreating look. With a shrug, he sat down.

"Thanks," she whispered. "Vyra's having her shoes changed, you say Natasha's missing, and who knows where Dawn is. And all this... it scares me." She scooted her chair closer to him.

"Don't worry," Theo said, trying to stifle his awkward awareness of what a mismatched pair they made. Jane was possibly the most beautiful human at Castle Cypress, while he - with his flattened nose, cleft lip, and face peppered with yellowish bumps - was unquestionably the ugliest. She was a nice girl, though, and he resolved not to depress her with his sense of inferiority. "This'll all sort itself out soon. His Royal Highness and General Mayfair can handle anything."

"I hope you're right." She pointed at the beastman and said, "Who's he, anyway? I never saw him before just now, when he scared us all into shutting up."

Theo squinted. "I don't know. Hey, Garu," he called to a dwarf a few seats down. "Do you know who the beastman is?"

"He's called Halron," Garu answered, looking about him nervously. "Dantom's nephew. He doesn't get out much."

"Dantom's _nephew_? Who's his mother and father?"

"I dunno. Who cares?"

Theo sat back in his chair and gave Jane an apologetic shrug. She pinched her lip thoughtfully and said, "You don't think they've been judging Halron just because of who his uncle is, do you?"

"They shouldn't be," Theo said, hovering on the brink of righteous anger. "His Royal Highness declared Dantom absolved of all his crimes."

"QUI - ET!!!" Halron bellowed, again bashing the wall to command silence in the room. This time, he seemed actually angry. He glared around the room, daring anyone to start whispering again.

Varmo again stepped forward and intoned, "I think we're all clear on what the situation is, so may I suggest that we have three tasks to attend to? First, we need to try to figure out what made our leaders and the Sword of Hajya disappear. Second, we should settle on a plan for dealing with these losses. And third, since our leaders are missing, we need to appoint a temporary leader."

"How about Irinod?" a centaur spoke up. "He's one of the few adults left here who knows about war, and he's so... so clear-headed all the time."

Varmo fed the centaur a gaze that made him shrink back. "I said, 'And THIRD, we need to appoint a leader.' It's critical that we first figure out what's gone wrong."

Most of the room seemed to be developing a fear of speaking up. Theo noticed that Binuto, however, was as impassive as ever. Brushing away the dangling vines of his overgrown hair out of his face, Binuto said in a tone that was almost bored, "I heard General Mayfair yelling something about a thief. Maybe she went after him."

"Hey," Amasia said, emboldened by Binuto's example. "Did you guys see that hole in the rampart? Not the big one - the little one on the north side? Well, the debris was on the _outside_. That could've been the thief breaking out."

"That's one powerful thief," Dave put in. "He didn't even bother using the big hole that the Iom army made!"

"The Iom army?"

"There was clearly an attack from Iom," Varmo said. "The big hole in the ramparts has the bodies of Iom troops all around it. But we have to consider that the Iomite attack might have come _after_ the theft."

"That's a good point," Amasia said. "How do we tell?"

"Did anyone here see the Iom army's attack?"

Silence.

"Then it must have been General Mayfair and the other missing people who fought them off. They couldn't have chased after the thief and then fought back the Iom troops... so it must have been the attack, then the theft. Or both at once."

"The thief must be one of the Iomites who broke in!" Dave exclaimed. "The attack was just a distraction, to give him his chance!"

"You're jumping to conclusions -"

"Now hold on a minute," Garu interrupted. "You said General Mayfair and the others went after the thief. Shouldn't they be back by now, then?"

"Something must be keeping them away," Dave said gravely. "It – It has to be that the Iomites captured them!"

"Oh, get real!" Jane snapped, getting halfway up with her wrists resting on the table. "We're trying to figure out what's going on, and you're just shouting out whatever stupid idea pops into your head!"

"_I'm_ being stupid? Don't see how well the Iomites planned this? They waited until King Nicholas was gone, they broke through our walls, and they distracted the guards so that they could steal the Sword of Hajya. Why couldn't they have taken General Mayfair, too, if they had surprise on their side? You're in hopeless denial, and it's not helping!"

"Sit down, you two," Varmo said. "The exact reason General Mayfair and the others are gone doesn't matter. Either way, we don't know how to get them, or the Sword of Hajya, back. What we need to do is find a way to keep this from happening again. We need to make Castle Cypress secure."

"But how?" someone asked. "Besides rebuilding the wall and being more watchful for the enemy, what can we do?"

"Excuse me." Theo turned his eyes to the speaker: His Royal Highness's personal servant, Yeesha. She was standing, and her piercing eyes ran over each person in the room. "We're letting our panic, our fear for ourselves, tell us what to do. We have to keep faith in Prince Nick! He's defeating Iom even as we speak. The Iom army can't keep attacking Castle Cypress for much longer. The only people in danger are our missing troops. Even after we've won, they may still be lost! We have to save them before -"

"Sit down and be quiet, Yeesha!" Varmo snapped, stunning her to silence. "No one gave you permission to speak. You think just because you were with His Royal Highness when he fought against Woldol that you're better than the rest of us. You may be His Majesty's personal servant, but you're still a servant! So sit down and don't speak unless you're spoken to!"

For a moment, Yeesha's eyes burned back at Varmo, and Theo thought she was going to rip his head off. Then she lowered her eyes, and sat back down without a word. Neither her face nor her body betrayed a single hint of emotion.

"As I was about to say," Varmo resumed, "...I happen to have a number of ideas - good ideas - for protecting Castle Cypress from the enemy that is upon us. If you will all listen for a minute or two, we can make our home a safe place to be again."

Thoroughly disgusted with the direction Varmo was headed, Theo turned from him to look at Jane. She was trembling in her seat.

"Hey," he said to her softly. "Are you alright?"

"I - I don't like this." She looked back at him, and an idea seemed to strike her. "Could you... take me out of here? Please?"

"Sure." She really seemed upset; Theo hoped he could get her out before she broke down. They quietly slipped out of their chairs, away from the crowd. "Let's get you some fresh air."

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Jane had been hoping for a chance such as this, a chance to be alone with Theo. She could have asked him to study with her or something anytime, she supposed, but she wanted things to happen between them naturally. This way was much better, not merely more natural, but wonderfully chivalric. As they headed out of the room, she quietly slipped her arm through his. To her pleasure, he didn't let it go.

"Could you take me to the west tower?"

"The tower?" Theo frowned. "I think you'll feel better if we get out of the castle entirely. Let's go outside - to the garden, maybe."

That was a bit disappointing. The outdoors didn't have the privacy they'd have in the tower; there was less chance of something happening. She accepted it, however, and they headed out of the castle. The main gate was closed at the moment, of course, since most of the guards were at the meeting. A side door with a spring latch that only opened from the inside became their exit route. They walked through the quiet field towards the garden.

Shaking her head, Jane commented, "I've never seen a kyantol act like that. They're usually so... peaceful."

"He had no right to talk like that to Yeesha," Theo said. "She's done more for Cypress than a useless stick-in-the-mud like him could ever hope to do. And she's his elder, too."

Jane nodded. "I'm shocked that she put up with it. It wasn't like her at all. I've seen her tell creeps like that just how much their words are worth before."

"She's been like that for a few weeks now, though. Doesn't question orders as much, or anything. For about as long as Deanna's been here." Theo's face twisted into something between a smile and a grimace. "Maybe his attitude is contagious."

"That reminds me. He and Natasha are both gone... I'm worried that maybe he went after her."

Theo looked at her, plainly confused. "What do you mean, 'went after her'?"

"He's in love with Natasha."

Scratching his head with his free hand, Theo said, "How do you know this about him when I don't?"

Jane giggled. "You're funny when you act dumb."

He smiled back. "Well...?"

"I hang out with Natasha more than you do." Her face turned serious again. "I felt bad for Deanna already. If he puts himself on the line for Natasha..."

"...sooner or later he's going to find out she's in love with His Royal Highness."

"Yes." She gazed at Theo, charmed that he understood. "I don't like it when people in love get turned down."

"Natasha, too. She may have decided to go after His Royal Highness."

"Oh! ...I never thought of that."

"It would explain why she hasn't come back after catching the thief." He shook his head. "What a mess. I wish they could've left us a note, or something. Thanks to Varmo, we're probably leaving them to make it on their own."

"He can't tell us what to do," Jane said fiercely. "He's not our leader. Irinod's going to go in there and take charge soon, and I'll bet he sends out a rescue party for Natasha and the others."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of that." The aged, wizened voice came from an unseen location to Jane's left. She jumped, and grabbed Theo's arm tightly.

"Alright, who's there?" Theo's voice was firm and bold, and inwardly Jane gave a dreamy sigh.

"Sorry." A bald head with wrinkled blue eyes and a long grey-and-white beard poked out from between the bushes. "Didn't mean to frighten the young lady. My manners have all gone to pot working out here." The old man - a dwarf, if the level at which his head was poking out was any indication - had a wide-brimmed hat in his hands. He stuffed it on his head and retreated back behind the bushes. "Sorry for eavesdropping. I'll head down to the sundrops, where I won't disturb you."

"Wait!" Jane dove after him, pressing though the bushes until she emerged on the other side. Brushing greenery from her hair, she asked, "What did you mean?"

The old man twitched an eyebrow up at her, trying for a moment to understand what she was referring to. Then he said, "Ambition is found in every race. Even kyantols." He hefted a pair of shears and resumed pruning the bushes. "And kyantols aren't troublemakers. If young Varmo is trying to take charge, then he means to be a leader. There's no other way of it being. And I'll bet he can rouse a rabble a lot better than an old warhorse like Irinod." He brushed away the clipped branches that still dangled from the bushes. "Remember, it's mostly young folks at Castle Cypress now. They'll want a young firebrand, not an old prune."

Theo, who had followed her through the bushes, said, "Excuse my manners, sir. My name's Theo. This is Jane. We're both guards here."

"I'm Eruminshus," the dwarf replied, shaking his hand. "Feel free to call me Eru. Guards, huh? I guess I'm the guard-ener, then." He chuckled, and turned back to pruning his bushes.

"Sorry to have bothered you..."

"Ah, no! Don't mind me. My manners have gone to pot, as I said. I just need to get my work done, is all. Talk away. It takes my mind off my job."

Jane hesitated a moment, then said, "Why are you still out here, just trimming bushes? Aren't you worried about what's going on?"

"Heh. I'm too old to live much longer, anyway. Seen too much death and sorrow in my time to worry about the possibility of more. I know how terrible that must sound to you young people, but that's the way of it being." He sighed. "The general is a lovely lady, though. Hope she comes back safe."

"Doesn't it bother you that Varmo doesn't intend to send out a rescue party for her, then?" Theo asked.

"Only in and of itself. I'm sure Varmo will be a decent leader in most things."

"Irinod would be better," Jane said sharply.

"True enough, but Irinod will never win the leadership of a bunch of youngsters. That's just the way of it working. No point fretting about it." He turned his head briefly to smile at them. "But you can't fool me into believing that you two only talk of such elevated subjects. Weren't you discussing love before I broke in on your conversation?"

"We were just worried about Natasha, and Deanna. Do you know them?"

"Natasha, yes. Deanna, no."

"Deanna's pretty new here," Jane explained. "But he's in love with Natasha, and she says she couldn't ever be interested in him, and of course she's already in love with Prince Nick..."

"With the king?" For a moment, the dwarf's shears halted, frozen in the open position. "She thinks she can compete with Mayfair?"

There was a pause, and then Theo said, "You think His Royal Highness is interested in General Mayfair?"

"Oh, I'm pretty near certain of it." The dwarf wiped the sweat from his brow. "He admires her. I've heard him say as much to Gyan. And then, there's the fact he's appointed her as general."

Jane frowned. "What does that have to do with -"

"Well, surely she's fit for the job, but why didn't he let her work her way up? Because he's testing her ability to lead, that's why. Sort of a trial Queen of Cypress, if you take my meaning." He brushed away more dangling branches. "King Gadrios appointed his wife to general a couple months before proposing to her. And Nicholas has always followed in his father's footsteps as close as he could. It's not hard to see where he's going with Mayfair."

"If I were him, I'd marry her whether or not she makes a good leader," Jane said in a huff.

"I'm sure His Royal Highness is just thinking of what's best for us," Theo said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "The woman he marries isn't just his wife; she's our Queen."

"Well... It isn't very romantic," Jane ventured, sneaking a glance at the hand on her shoulder. _This is the first time... he touched me without me touching him. Oh, I've got to store this moment in my memory..._

"I don't know if I always like it when things are romantic. Look at what romance has done to the others. It's like a bad chain: Deanna to Natasha, Natasha to His Royal Highness, His Royal Highness to General Mayfair. And for all we know, General Mayfair to someone else."

"Ah, you're looking at the sword as half dull, young man," the dwarf said, setting aside his shears. He waddled over towards a bed of flowers, Jane and Theo following him. "At least you two are happy together, yes?"

Jane blushed. To her keen disappointment, however, Theo was unperturbed as he replied, "Oh, we're not a couple. Things were getting scary in the meeting room, so I was taking Jane outside."

Picking up a watering can, the old gardener remarked, "Ah, I see. A random act of gallantry."

"Well, no... Jane asked me to. And it's not like I could refuse."

"It's a pity," the dwarf said, sprinkling water over the flowers. "I was just thinking I might let you take a few of these, to put in the young lady's hair, or something."

"Well, we're not a couple."

"But we could be, couldn't we?" Jane said eagerly, taking hold of his arm. "I mean, we get along well, don't we? It's an honest mistake."

"Um... I guess so."

The old gardener put in, "Why don't you two try it for a couple weeks? If neither of you is involved, that is."

Theo quickly answered, "I don't think that's such a good idea." Jane could tell that he was being shy rather than outright rejecting her, however, and was not discouraged.

"You could help me study tomorrow," she said. "C'mon, it'll be fun. ...You don't mind being with me, do you?" This last question was a dirty trick, she realized, but playing nice was getting her nowhere.

"No! But... as a couple... I mean... Don't you think it'd be awkward?"

"Well, don't think of it like that. We'll just be... hanging out together. A lot." She turned to the dwarf and his flowers. "We could help Eru do the weeding... if that's alright with you, sir?"

He nodded. "There's plenty to go around. You can start over by that corner."

Standing and picking at his clothes, Theo muttered, "It's a silly idea."

Jane shrugged and went down on her knees before the flower bed. "If you don't want to hang out with me, fine. But I'm still giving Eru a hand."

Theo stood there a couple moments longer, watching her yank at long weeds, pulling them loose from the stagnant earth. Then he wordlessly knelt beside her and joined in her toil.

Jane smiled; she'd read him correctly. Though Theo was too shy yet to spend time with her, he couldn't refuse to pull weeds for a kindly old dwarf.

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After a half hour or so, Eruminshus announced, "That's quite enough. I thank the two of you for the help. And the company. Now run along."

"Uh... you're welcome," Theo said as he stood, clearly startled by the old gardener's apparent rush to get rid of them. "It was very interesting talking with you."

"We'd love to do it again," Jane added. "Wouldn't we?"

Theo nodded. "Absolutely."

"Always a pleasure to pass down some of our history. To know I'm still good for something besides tending shrubs, understand? You're welcome any time you want to visit." Eru pointed. "That's the way of getting to the shed with my tools. I'm there at least thrice a dozen times a day. Find me there whenever you please."

Theo gave a polite goodbye, begging pardon as he hoped to get back to the meeting before anything major was decided. Jane suggested they meet again the next day. Theo agreed and took his leave. Jane, however, lingered.

"Thank you so much," she whispered, and squatted down to place a kiss on the gardener's forehead.

"Ah," he said, smiling slightly. "Bad luck to thank the matchmaker before you're married. Like counting unhatched eggs."

Jane shook her head. "Married? I'm not even thinking about that yet."

Once she was gone, Eru gave a happy sigh as he continued with his work. Indeed, he had seen much death, sorrow, and hardship over his years in the Cypress army. But the simple joy of a fair maiden's gratitude remained the same.

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Theo opened the door to the meeting room, only to find it occupied by just two people: Binuto and an unfamiliar centaur. The latter was furiously writing on a piece of parchment, while the former sat back languidly in his chair, studying the walls.

Not eager to talk to Binuto, Theo addressed the stranger, "What's going on?"

The centaur looked up. "The meeting's over. Varmo was elected leader tempore. We're meeting same time tomorrow to hear the details of his plans."

"What!? I missed the vote?"

"You didn't miss much. It was almost unanimous."

Theo dropped into one of the chair, supporting his head with one hand.

"It still bugs you though, doesn't it?" Binuto said in a needling tone. "To know that you were eloping with your girlfriend while the fate of your comrades was being decided."

"Jane's not my girlfriend, Binuto. She just needed some fresh air."

"Ah," Binuto said simply, with an obvious loss of interest.

"Anyway, you should talk. I'll bet you voted to abandon them."

The centaur took a look at a tiny piece of parchment on the table and announced, "Binuto voted for Irinod." He lifted up the paper with Irinod's name on it, and said, "This _is_ your handwriting, right?"

Binuto stood up from his chair, straight and tall. "If you two will excuse me..." He walked from the room.


	2. Chapter 2

- Chapter 2 -

Varmo leaned back contentedly in his cushioned chair as Halron pushed his rook across the board and grunted, "Check." The beastman was quite easy to lose to; though he seemed incapable of planning more than three moves in advance, he had mastered enough general theory that his playing was less a series of struggles over capturing pieces than a sure and steady trudge towards victory. At this moment, though checkmate was still four moves away, Varmo knew that he couldn't prevent Halron's winning, even had he wanted to. He was glad that these losses were only a minimal insult to his own skill.

"Would you tell me something?" he asked. "...Why do you hardly ever go to the mock battles?" They were held once a week, and in spite of the current state of crisis, most of the guards were at that moment upholding the tradition.

Halron snorted. "I already know how to fight. I wasn't brought out of a sedate little life or farming or fishing by this war, unlike most of the little worms patrolling our ramparts."

"Mmmm," Varmo murmured. He placed his remaining knight beside his king, blocking the path of Halron's rook. He could have moved his king out of the way, but the game was more interesting this way. "But don't you think you could get better?"

"Fighting doesn't interest me."

"But you were trained when you were little? Your father must have made you. He allows your... current apathy?"

Halron chuckled. "'Apathy'? Big word for a half-illiterate like you. So long as my father's off fighting in Iom, what he allows or doesn't allow doesn't matter."

"That was rude. That 'half-illiterate' crack, I mean." Varmo considered himself a smart person, but his vocabulary fell far short of those with noble upbringing like Halron. He didn't like being reminded of that fact.

"Your election got me thinking." His feral eyes focused on the piece he fingered - _to avoid looking at me,_ Varmo guessed. "Are you using me?"

Varmo smiled, but he could feel the line of his lips trembling. "Friends always use friends, don't they?" When Halron did not answer, he continued, "Doesn't King Nicholas consider the Guardianans he enlisted against Woldol friends?"

There was a pause. Then Halron leaned forward and growled lightly, "_Are_ we friends?"

"Halron." Varmo's mouth had calmed, evened. "How can you think anything else? Ever since we've met, I've always been nice to you."

"But why were you nice to me?" The fading daylight shone on Halron's bristling fur. "Was it so that I would teach you how to speak like a passable noble and woo the crowd? So that I would cower them into heeding your words? Was it so that I would help make you a leader? Was it all... lies?"

In spite of himself, Varmo burst out laughing. He knew his friend was in a dangerous mood, but the way his ludicrous question broke in on the maximally tense atmosphere was too much. Loud laughs scampering from his mouth, he turned away from Halron and walked to the desk, leaning against it as his hilarity continued to run forth. Lapsing into his old manner of speech, he gasped, "Oh man... that's damn funny... that's... too damn funny." He slapped his palm against the flat of the desk.

"Are you quite through!?" Halron roared, rising to his feet.

When his laughter had run its course, Varmo wiped tears from his eyes and said, "Halron... there are no lies. Except for dark lies, that is. You know, when a woman is in love with a man, so she tells his girlfriend that he doesn't love her; that sort of thing. Nothing can make a lie of the good will we've shared, not even me. It exists, and it's true no matter the reason for it." He pulled open a drawer of the desk and dug out a bottle. "Heh. I snuck some wine out from the kitchen. Let's see, glasses..."

After pouring one glass, he handed it to Halron. "Here. This'll take some of your stress off. We were under a lot of pressure today. But we're a great team, aren't we? I've got the brains and the vision; you've got the eloquence and the strength." He took a greedy gulp from his glass, staining the fur around his lips like blood from a fresh kill.

Halron took a dignified sip of the wine. "Yes. And you followed the lines we composed beautifully - until you lost your temper with Yeesha, that is."

"What was I supposed to say?" Varmo whined. "That snooty witch was talking out of turn, turning down our ideas."

"You were very lucky," Halron said sternly. "She could have blown your words right back at you. You forget that she really does think she's better than the rest of us, and that some of the rest think the same."

Varmo smirked. "If that's the case, why didn't she tell me off?"

"You were lucky," Halron insisted. Varmo let it go. "What do you want out of this, anyway? I've gone along with you thus far because I'm your friend... but I'd like to know."

The kyantol waved dismissively with his glass of wine. "To be a leader. That's it."

"No matter what the cost to Cypress?"

"Cost? It could only help Cypress. My friend, there are two kinds of people in this world. The ones who mercilessly battle their way to the position of a leader, and the ones who are meant to be followers."

"Strange attitude for a kyantol to have."

"Is it?" He lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "I guess it is, at that."

Varmo remembered when he'd first had these ideas. Woldol had passed through his hometown once. He remembered the horrors he'd pervaded. His aunt and cousins, fur shaven off, dressed in ragged clothes, paraded through the town for the amusement of the soldiers. It was a shameful spectacle. Varmo had watched them shivering in their stripped pelts, flinching at objects thrown at them.

He was good friends with his cousins, but his aunt was a mean old witch. Whenever he so much as looked at her the wrong way, she would spit disparaging words at him as though he'd desecrated the king's statue. Varmo threw a piece of moldy fruit at her as she came by. She flinched at the impact, and looked around her in fright. Varmo smirked at her, swelled with a feeling of vindication. He felt sick about it afterwards, though, and his cousins never spoke to him again.

Still, he had learned something: Woldol was a man with no restraint, and less taste. He was totally unfit to be a leader. Yet he was ambassador of Cypress, and de facto ruler. All it had taken was will, intelligence, and ambition.

And if a monster like Woldol could do it, why not a decent kyantol like himself, someone with class? He had all the requisite skills. If more were needed to take command, Woldol couldn't have done it. Let the best man win.

Halron's voice broke in on his thoughts. "But what makes you think your status as leader will be anything more than a fleeting moment? What happens when King Nicholas and General Mayfair return?"

Varmo's expression fell from daydreamy to glum. "I doubt they will return, actually. Something about the way the general disappeared... I don't know whether she left of her own will or was captured, but either way, it can't be good. And if the enemy is making problems here, things must be even worse for our king."

He pensively sipped up the last of the wine in his glass. "Of course, if they do return, I'm sure I'll have... I'll have..." He began vigorously snapping his fingers over and over, the fur on his forehead bunched in the folds of a fierce mental search. "...I'll have _distinguished myself_ enough for some position or another," he finished at last. He let out a breath, and proceeded to pour himself some more wine. Mercifully, Halron refrained from commenting on his difficulty finding the right words.

"Aren't you more worried about the possibility of them not returning? The possibility that you'll have the command of all of Cypress in your hands?"

Varmo waved him off, taking another big gulp of wine. "Hey... I can handle it."

"No. In one sense, at least, you can't handle it." Halron quietly walked back to his seat. "You're not Nicholas's heir."

"That's a moot point. He doesn't have an heir." He paused. "Unless..."

Halron nodded. "I don't think our king is the sort who'd risk leaving Cypress without a ruler. My guess is he's named an heir in secret. In case of spies among the Cypress ranks."

"But who?" Varmo pondered. "And who are the ones who will reveal him as the heir if our king dies?"

The corner of Halron's mouth twisted into a half smile. "Thinking of rubbing them out?"

"No. Thinking of getting into his good graces."

There was a knock at the door.

"Damn," Varmo moaned, putting a weary hand to his head. "Would you mind getting that, and sending away whoever it is? I'm in no shape to -"

"I've got it." Halron finished his wine and got up. Opening the door a foot, he growled to whoever was beyond, "This is a private party."

A voice answered, "I need to talk to Varmo." Varmo made a point of knowing as many of the people at Castle Cypress as he could, and he recognized the voice as Theo, one of the incurable do-gooders of the junior squads. They were a rare breed, actually, and most weren't as pure in motive as Theo. Natasha was only trying to impress Prince Nick, and Dawn and Valen were just prigs.

"Of course you do," Halron returned. "Who would come here to talk to me? Varmo is not to be disturbed right now."

He attempted to close the door, but it caught halfway; presumably Theo had stopped it. "Hey," the human protested. "What did I ever do to you?"

"Nothing yet. But a wise man doesn't lower his guard." He firmly pushed the door closed against Theo's inferior strength and shut the latch.

"Thank you," Varmo sighed. He returned to his seat and moved his king.

"That's checkmate in one move, you know."

"Name one move that isn't."

"Good point. Well, thank you for the game." He yawned and walked to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. "I think I'll head to bed early tonight, so I'll be fresh for the meeting tomorrow."

Varmo nodded. It was important to remember that, since every sort of established authority was gone from Castle Cypress, his new position was far from secure. The mob could tear him from his throne as quickly as they had placed him on it. Tomorrow would be critical for winning their hearts and confidence.

The thumping of books being shoved about on their shelves took him out of his thoughts. "Varmo," Halron said in a petulant tone, "...did you borrow Apex of the World from me?"

He knew the book Halron spoke of. It was a history of Cypress that had been handed down to Halron from his grandfather, and a prized possession. Halron was frequently re-reading it. Varmo had borrowed it from him once, and on reading it could understand somewhat why he loved it so. It was written with a fair amount of dramatic flair, making their nation's history into an epic saga of conquest, adventure, alliances, betrayals, and legacies. In the end, though, history was just that: history. Varmo had no interest in reading any part of it again. He answered his friend in the negative. "Are you sure it isn't in your dormitory?"

"I've been keeping it on this shelf," he answered confidently. "It looks so dignified sitting there. Blast. Where did it go?"

"It'll turn up," Varmo assured him. "I doubt anyone would take it from that shelf. You probably just misplaced it somewhere."

"Maybe," he grunted, and walked to the door. "Let me know if you see it."

"Halron... you aren't still angry, are you? About my… use for you?"

The beastman paused, his hand on the door. "No, not angry. Just... disillusioned, I suppose." He shook his head. "I couldn't stay angry with you. You're the only one here who's treated me with any compassion. That's the real reason I don't like to go to the mock battles, you know."

"I thought it was."

He pointed to Varmo's face. "You really should wash yourself off."

Varmo turned to a mirror and grimaced at his wine-stained reflection. "Yes. I guess I should."

"I _suppose_ I should," Halron corrected. "Keep practicing." He closed the door behind him.

----------------------

Jane collapsed onto the grass, gasping for breath. Sweat had soaked her clothes. "That... damn... slave driver." She desperately took in huge lungfuls of air.

"Personally, I found the exercise quite refreshing," Vyra said, drying off her face and neck with an old rag. She held it out towards Jane's supine form. "Dry rag?"

She gave no answer, only continuing to loudly heave for breath. Vyra peered at her. "Are you alright?"

After two last heaves, she croaked out, "No."

"Well, you managed to answer." Vyra smiled. "You aren't exactly in peak condition, are you?"

Jane glared up at her. "I'm not... a centaur."

"Oh. Right." Vyra settled down beside her, grinning with embarrassment. "Sorry. But he did give us more laps to do, you know."

"Not... enough," she said, finally beginning to regain her lost oxygen. "I think I burst my insides. Why does Varmo have to push us like this?"

"We're expanding the limits of what our bodies can do in battle. Doesn't that make you feel more secure?"

"A little, I guess. But if Varmo is going to turn us into mighty-people, shouldn't we be going out to rescue our troops instead of hiding like rats?" Vyra gave no answer, and after a moment she blindly reached out with her hand. "You mentioned a rag?"

Vyra handed it to her. As Jane dried her face off, Vyra said, "How are things with you and Theo?"

"Wonderful." She sighed. "We've been talking so much now. About everything. And he... he understands me. He's always so gallant and kind." She shook her head. "I just wish he'd make a move already."

"You can't blame him for being coy. Think of it from his point-of-view: the object of his affection is the most beautiful girl in a ten mile radius -"

"I am not. There's Lana, Peppe, Yeesha…"

"That's your opinion. Besides, Yeesha is older." Vyra shifted on the ground, getting her legs more comfortable. "Anyway... He sees that you're a voluptuous goddess of beauty -"

"Oh, Puh - LEEZ!"

"...while he is the ugliest person to walk the halls of Castle Cypress..."

Jane kicked her at the base of her foreleg.

"Well, he is," Vyra persisted.

"No, he isn't." Vyra raised her eyebrows skeptically. "He isn't! The only reason people say he's ugly is his face. He's strong and lean... and his hands, you know, he really has the nicest hands. I think he's better looking than some of the fat slob nobles here, even with their pretty faces. And anyway," she finished, folding her arms, "...looks aren't important. Even if he was the ugliest person in all Cypress, I'd still say he's a total hunk." She looked to Vyra, hopeful that she'd be nonplussed by her arguments, and was surprised to see a smile on her face. "What's so funny?"

Vyra chuckled. "I was just thinking... This is the point at which Dawn would be saying, 'Are you really in love with Theo, or is he just the best fit for your idyllic romantic fantasy?'"

Jane's laughter joined with hers for a minute. It ultimately trailed off into a sigh, however. "I miss her. And Natasha. I hope they're alright."

"It rather puts your suffering under Varmo's regimen into perspective, doesn't it? They may be much worse off."

"You're not taking Varmo's side, are you? He's the one who wouldn't let us go rescue them."

"Relax. If I hadn't been having my shoes changed, I'd have voted for Irinod."

"Yeah. And if I hadn't..." She trailed off, then sat up. "I think I'll go down to the spring to wash off. Wanna join me?"

Vyra shook her head. "I have a guard shift coming up, and I don't want to risk being late."

"See you later, then."

----------------------

The instant the castle came within sight, Shriek halted the beating of his wings and trimmed them for a gradual descent. In a matter of a minute or two, he glided down to the ground before the moat. He could have easily crossed the moat, of course, but he didn't want to alarm the guards.

One was already approaching him, a female centaur. "Hello. I'm from the Guardiana army. Would you show me in to King Nicholas?"

The centaur gave him a smile that was aggravatingly contemptuous and mocking. "I think not." She turned towards a guard on the other side of the moat and called, "Hey, Garu! Could you venture to say if Varmo's ready to give an audience?"

"It's been a bit since he dismissed us from training," Garu called back. "Worth a shot."

"Now, wait a minute," Shriek protested, his feathers bristling. Aside from her rude greeting, he was beginning to pick up an unpleasant odor emanating from the centaur. "I'm one of the king's former comrades-in-arms. Just let him know I'm here, and I'm sure he'll be very eager to see me."

"Quite impossible," the centaur replied. "Now, if you'll just come with me, I'll bring you before Sir Varmo."

"What!? You lousy, ungrateful... beast! My friends and I risked our necks to free you people from Woldol. How dare you treat us like this?"

The centaur smiled. "As I understand it, sir, you risked your necks to save your own queen. And as far as I can see, we haven't slighted you in any way. Now, do you wish to discuss the war with one of our leaders, or not?"

"You're making a big mistake."

"Is that gaudy bird giving you trouble, Vyra?" Garu called.

"Nothing to be worried about," the centaur answered. "Are you coming, Sir...?"

"Shriek," the birdman said coldly. "Yes, I'm coming. But only because I _will_ see Nick eventually, and I'm sure he'll be less than pleased to hear how his guards have been treating some of his closest friends."

"By all means, tell him," Vyra said, grinning more broadly than ever. "I'm sure he'll find this incident most amusing."

"Almost as amusing as your washing habits. In case no one else has pointed it out to you yet, you snob: You stink like a boiling kettle full of slugs."


	3. Chapter 3

- Chapter 3 -

Varmo was irritated at the sudden demand for an audience, but when he was told it was a representative of the Guardiana army, he knew it could not be put off.

"My first experience in foreign relations," he muttered to Halron, who nodded gravely.

It would best be held in the Great Hall, he decided, given the weight of the matter. He took an elegant chair, set it three meters or so in front of the vacant throne, and sat down. A number of the castle's occupants had gathered to watch, he noticed. He was grateful that - unlike humans and dwarves - his kind do not sweat.

"Send him in."

"Presenting Sir Shriek of Guardiana," Vyra announced.

The creature who walked in was a birdman in unusually colorful attire for his kind. While he looked about his new surroundings, Varmo commented, "So, I see that you people have finally arrived."

"What?" Shriek said. "Oh no, the Guardiana army isn't here yet. They sent me ahead as a scout, to announce their coming."

_Ugh. How slow are these Guardianans?_ "That is disappointing. How far from here are they?"

"Two days' march, at most. Excuse me sir, but I expected to speak with His Royal Highness, or at least one of his generals."

"No doubt you did. But I'm afraid you're a little late."

"What! Nick's left for Iom already?"

"If you're referring to our King, then yes."

"What about his generals?"

"They all went with him."

Shriek cocked his head. "He didn't leave any one of them to watch over the castle?"

_Ah. A good opportunity._ "There was no need. Feel free to take a look around, Sir Shriek," Varmo said, sweeping his hand about in an inviting gesture. "For over a month now, Castle Cypress has been occupied solely by youths, those adults unfit for battle, and a handful of nobles. Yet we have not been ravaged by enemy attacks, nor has the functioning of our society been... obstructed." He spat the last word out just in time to avoid a noticeable pause. _Please, please don't let him have noticed the traces of our repairs on the two holes the Iom army made..._ "The heart and spirit of Cypress is all we need to hold firm through any assault. In fact, we're holding a ball in a couple weeks - just something to lighten the troops' spirits."

"A ball? For all the troops?" Shriek echoed, eyes widening. "Don't you realize this castle can be attacked at any moment?"

"A few have volunteered to act as sentries. And don't think that those attending the event won't be ready for battle at a moment's notice."

"Well, that's very good for you people, but King Nicholas was told to wait for us. Why did he ignore our instructions?"

"Cypressians do not sit and wait while the enemy grows fat. Had His Royal Highness waited for you, by now the Iomites would have laid siege and starved us out."

"This is an insult!" Shriek exclaimed, his feathers bristling. "All he had to do was wait for our arrival. We weren't even informed of this decision! When Queen Anri hears of this -"

"We are your allies, Guardianan," Varmo interrupted, rising from his chair. "...not your lapdogs. We do not sit and heel at your command."

The birdman recoiled slightly, then said in a milder tone, "I'm sorry. But your king has endangered himself by his haste."

"If that's what you think, then you don't know our king at all."

Shriek fumed. "I've know him for longer than you have, you pup!"

"We will not be insulted in our own home." Varmo pointed to the door. "You are dismissed. If your fellow soldiers are better mannered than you, we will be happy to offer them our hospitality. If they want to catch up with King Nicholas, however, I suggest they head directly to Iom."

"Fine! We're not interested in dealing with you, anyway. It's Nick who we're going to have words with!"

He strutted away from the Great Hall.

Once he was gone, the Cypressians present broke into a chorus of applause, punctuated by cries of "Hail Cypress!"

A wave of relief fell over Varmo. Halron stepped forward and murmured to him, "Well played."

----------------------

"Poorly played," Eruminshus remarked after Theo finished recounting the story to him and Jane. "King Gadrios would've found a way to keep our respect without insulting the Guardianans. So would King Nicholas, by the way of my thinking. Can't be sure, though. Never seen him deal with such a matter."

Theo nodded. "There has to be more to diplomacy than just chest-thumping. I mean, I guess that's an important part of it, but..."

He trailed off, and Eru ambled away to another part of the garden without excusing himself. Jane gave a slight sigh as she returned to picking off dead leaves and tending to live ones. "I wish I was smart like you, Theo."

"What d'you mean? You're as smart as me."

"I don't get any of the stuff you and Eru talk about... diplomacy, and all that."

"That's... that's not important." She noticed him fumbling a bit with his work. "It doesn't do me any good to know that stuff. I can't take part in it. You've got all the smarts you need."

"No I don't, actually." She turned to look directly at Theo. He remained focused on the plants. "You know I don't like fighting. So when I came here, I kinda figured I'd be a healer. But I just can't understand magic. Three weeks training, and I couldn't even get a basic heal spell to work for me. So they made me an archer, even though I can barely hit a straw target from ten feet." She let out a brief, blatantly self-conscious laugh.

Theo was silent. She bit her lip. _Idiot! What a stupid thing to bring up. What is he supposed to say to that?_

"I still say you're smart enough," Theo said with easy confidence. "You just don't know diplomacy and war. People, though... people you understand, a lot better than me. You realized how they must have been treating Halron. You realized how Deanna feels for 'Tasha." He shook his head, and grabbed at a weed. "I never notice those things."

Jane's heart brightened. No one had ever told her she was smart before, except when they were lying. All doubt was erased from her mind. She had to ask him now. "Hey Theo... Would you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"I need someone to escort me to the ball."

Theo looked back at her, frowning. "Hasn't anyone asked you yet?" She shook her head. "Well, I wouldn't give up just yet. You know some guy's going to work up the courage to ask you the day before."

"Come on. It's less than three days away; no one's going to ask. Guys have actually been avoiding eye contact with me more and more as the ball gets closer. They're not shy; they just don't want to be with me." Actually, she'd turned down three offers so far, but Theo would only be embarrassed if he knew she'd been holding out for him. "If you don't take me, I won't be able to go. Please?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're sure? I gotta warn you, I don't have any nice clothes. And you know I'm not going to look good in any of the things Varmo raided from the nobles' closets."

"You'll be fine," Jane answered, rolling her eyes. "We're going to a ball, not posing as enemy royalty."

He smiled. "Alright. Shall I fetch you a little while after dinner?" Jane nodded. Returning to his work, he added, "If someone else asks you, though, don't worry about dropping me. I hadn't been planning on going anyway. No need to feel guilty."

In a flash, the flames of her victory turned to bitter ashes. She shot back, half-choking on the brittle dust that rose in her throat, "Hey, you don't have to go with me if you don't want to. I just thought we might have a good time."

"Whoa, hold on!" Theo said, staring back at her. "I'd love to go. I just don't want you to feel... obligated..."

"Oh." Jane blushed. "I'm..."

"Excuse me," Eruminshus interrupted, making Jane jump. "Got someone here I'd like you two to meet. C'mere, Barro."

A young human boy, standing slightly over Eru's height, stepped forward and smiled shyly at them. An oversized cap of neat blond hair covered his forehead, just reaching his eye sockets.

"Hello," Theo smiled at him in return.

The boy fidgeted, looking down at his shirt. "Hi."

Eru smiled and patted the boy's shoulder. "That's fine, Barro. You can run along now." The boy readily complied.

Jane frowned. "Who's he? He can't be your son..."

"Ah. That lad," Eru said, his voice dropping to a low volume, nearly soft enough to be a whisper, "...would be the current heir to the Cypress throne."

"What?"

"I think I get it," Theo said. "His Royal Highness named a relative as his heir, right, Eru? Just in case he died in the war."

"That's the way of it being, indeed," Eru replied. "Nicholas's brother died young, and his sister was killed by Woldol. Same happened to his parents, and his father's one sibling died a bachelor. His mother had a sister, though, and Barro is her son. The rebels were lucky enough to find him during Woldol's coup. Nick brought the lad with him when he went to Guardiana. Left 'im in the care of a nice couple, not telling them he was from Cypress, of course."

"But once he'd freed Cypress..."

"Indeed, he had Barro sent back. He needed a temporary heir, just in case."

"But..." Jane said sadly, "...he's so young. Younger than me."

"He's the only relative King Nicholas has left. And with luck, General Mayfair and Lady Sarah would be left to advise him."

"Why are you telling us all this?" Theo asked.

"Only four people know that Barro is the heir. One's myself. The others are King Nicholas, General Mayfair, and Gyan."

"And they're gone."

"Exactly. Whereas I could pass from this world any day. More people were needed to proclaim Barro as heir if the king dies. People who won't betray him to Varmo."

"What could Varmo do?"

"Well, and what do you think?"

Theo was silent for a minute. "...No. Varmo's a creep, but he'd never -"

"Assassinate? Usurp?" Eru said, raising an eyebrow. "Those're the ways of the world, lad. Remember those Iom troops the guards spotted a few days ago? Strange how there hasn't been an attack yet." He shook his head. "No telling for sure, but my instinct says Varmo had some associates dress up for that act. His post is built on the promise that he'll keep us safe. An' the more threatened we feel, the better that promise looks. That's the way of it being. I suppose he could even make it look like Iomites killed Barro."

"That's crazy!" Jane put in. "Barro's just a boy."

"Varmo has a lot to gain, though," Theo admitted. "Maybe he wouldn't kill, but... We can't let him control things anymore. We need a different leader. If we send a party out soon, we can probably still rescue General Mayfair and the others."

_Boy, he came to that decision awful suddenly. _"Can we do that? It seems like most people like the way he's doing things."

"We have to. If Varmo really is trying to scare us into keeping him as leader, who knows how far he'll go? And for all we know, the lives of the missing troops are at stake. Getting enough people to vote him out would be tough. But maybe..."

Jane stared at him, waiting. "What?"

"Got an idea," he said, shaking his head. "I'll need to get a meeting together. Soon as possible."

"I've got guard shift pretty soon."

"No problem. Don't need you there, anyway."

"Huh?"

"You'll understand later," Theo said, staring up at Castle Cypress. "I just hope 'later' won't be too late for Natasha and the others. I should've done something before..."

----------------------

"It's too risky," Donlie objected. "I don't want to get killed."

Theo gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm telling you, he'll back down. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Theo, I'm sorry, but you're making an unreasonable assumption," Vyra said. "To make a challenge with no intention of actually fighting is neither honorable nor wise."

_I don't believe this_, Theo thought as he looked over the five he had gathered. _They're all turning me down - all of them._ He turned to Binuto. "Are you telling me you're afraid?"

"Of course not," Binuto answered casually, drawing his eyes toward the ceiling. "The whole thing just doesn't matter to me. The more I think about it..." He shrugged. "...nothing matters."

"If that were true, you wouldn't be at Castle Cypress in the first place," Theo pointed out.

"Maybe I just enjoy watching everyone worry themselves over trivialities when most of us are going to be killed anyway."

Theo watched him as he continued to study the ceiling. _Is it true? Did he come to this meeting just to amuse himself? ...No; he's just trying to hide the fact that he cares. Doing a pretty poor job of it, too. But then why won't he accept the challenge?_

Vyra broke in on his thoughts. "Theo, if this is to be done, you'd best do it yourself."

"Come on, Vyra. You're a better fighter than me..."

"Not significantly. And if your plan is to make Varmo back down, you at least have a reputation as a vanquisher of bullies working for you."

The others nodded.

"This is ridiculous!" Theo suddenly burst out, jumping up from his seat. "You all know nobody's afraid of me. Some of you have laughed at me right to my face! While you're all digging up excuses, thinking about what you're going to wear to the ball, our comrades could be facing death right in the eyes! Don't you care? If I was the right man to do this, I'd jump at the chance. It's a small risk... to do something big for Cypress."

He looked over the lot of them, waiting. Their expressions did not change.

"We don't know that General Mayfair and the rest are in danger, Theo," Donlie said. "If they are, we don't know if we can help them."

"It's likely that they've been captured," Theo returned. "By Iomites, or someone else. If they have been, they're probably still alive. We can -"

"Theo," Vyra cut him off. She stood. "I'm sorry... it's just too big a step for us. You're on your own."


	4. Chapter 4

- Chapter 4 -

_It's like being between a rock and a hard place,_ Theo thought as he considered the loose-fitting suit he wore. Wearing nobleman's clothes only seemed to make the ugliness of his features stand out. Yet wearing his own drab clothes would make him look out of place among the others at the ball.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Theo looked up. Jane stood just outside the door to her dormitory, wearing an emerald green dress. Her choice of attire was fitting, its simplicity only serving to highlight her natural beauty, the emerald shade a humble accent to the pure white skin of her hands and throat. Though the dress was not revealing, the general curves of the body beneath were impressive enough. Her hair had been washed and smoothed to a pristine tone, with a lock from each side set to rest against the front of a shoulder in a fetching manner. All in all, Theo was surprised that he could still think of her as the girl he knew.

"You look nice," he said. He thought he saw her wince at this remark, but a moment later he wasn't sure.

"You're one of the ones Varmo assigned to come 'ready' to the ball, huh?" Jane commented, glancing at the staff strapped to his back.

Theo fidgeted. "Well, I didn't tell you before, but I'd volunteered to be a sentry before you asked me to take you. Only way I could get out of it was to be an armed attendee instead. Does it bother you?"

She shook her head, smiling. "Actually, you look very dashing."

Most of the girls remaining in the dormitory lingered in the back, either getting ready for the ball or waiting for their escorts. He noticed Amasia approaching Jane from behind, however, and the instant the word "dashing" left her lips, the centaur took hold of her shoulders, startling her.

"I bet she spent a whole shift practicing that compliment in front of a mirror," Amasia giggled. "Now you be good, Theo. Jane's under the mistaken impression that you're a gentleman, and we wouldn't want to return this dress to its owner full of wrinkles..."

"Hey!" Jane gave her a good-natured shove. "Buzz off."

"Bored with waiting for your escort, Amasia?" Theo asked.

"You see?" Amasia pointed at him, grinning triumphantly. "I told you he's no gentleman."

"I was just making conversation..."

"Ignore her," Jane said, taking his arm and pulling him from the dormitory. "I thought you knew Amasia."

"I do. Not that Amasia, though."

"So... how did the meeting go?"

He shook his head as they turned a corner. "None of them were willing to help."

"I'm sorry." A pause fell. "For what it's worth, I'm up for whatever you have planned."

"Thanks, but you can't help." He sighed. _Shouldn't be talking about this. I want her to just enjoy herself. If she knew what I was planning to do tonight..._ "Can we talk about something else?"

She nodded. "You're right. Tonight's going to be really fun." She tilted her head back and let out a dreamy sigh, allowing Theo to guide her along. "I feel like we're walking into some fanciful story. You know, common people changed into nobles for one night. Thank you so much for taking me."

"It's nothing." He wiped a hand through his hair, feeling nervous sweat forming on his forehead. "Actually, I feel guilty that I didn't take more time getting ready. I'm going to ruin your whole appearance."

Jane gave him an angry glance. "You look fine. I'm going to this ball to have a good time - not to strut my stuff."

_Then why did you fix your hair like that?,_ he thought sourly. "Sorry. I... I know you better than that, I guess."

"Darn right!" She poked his cheek playfully, her mood abruptly brighter. "Now no more doom-and-gloom! Promise."

Theo chuckled. "Okay, okay. I promise."

----------------------

The ball was already getting into swing by the time they arrived. Jane spotted Vyra, a spear strapped to the frilling trimmings adorning her hindquarters, among a half dozen or so of her friends on the ballroom floor, all of them moving with their partners to the rhythm of a lively gamun. The music streamed from an eight-man band at the back of the ballroom. A girl of no more than 12 years played violin, a dwarf and a centaur collaborated on the dualcello, another dwarf played lute, two centaurs played recorders, and Irinod blew into a krumhorn. The remaining player, a human, worked an assortment of percussion, occasionally switching to a fretted instrument with over a dozen strings. Everyone(even, somewhat ludicrously, the musicians) was dressed in the clothing borrowed from the nobility's vacant quarters. As they walked in, a voice called out, "Lady Jane, escorted by Sir Theo!" She beamed with delight.

By unspoken agreement, they watched from the sidelines for the rest of the gamun. Jane saw Varmo dancing with a short, angular kyantol, and pointed him out to Theo.

"I guess it's good image," he remarked. "Him enjoying himself with the rest of us."

Jane nodded. "He definitely isn't interested in the lady."

The dance finished, and Vyra left her partner to visit them. "Hi guys. Ready to juxtapose your grace and elegance against the rest of this crowd?"

"What do you think?" Jane asked with a brief laugh.

"You certainly make an appealing visual combination," Vyra said, giving them a critical eye. "Are you as fluid in your dancing as in your fighting, Theo?"

"Actually, I was just about to let Jane go find a dance partner," Theo said, taking a polite step away.

Jane threw a look of appeal at Vyra, and her centaur friend came to the rescue. "Don't be ridiculous. You brought Jane here as a favor; she at least owes you the first three dances."

"It's no big deal..."

"Perhaps not for you, but this is a public event. Do you want to make it look like Jane is shamelessly snubbing you?"

"No... but I don't want to force her..."

"No forcing needed," Jane said brightly, seizing his hand. "I'd be very happy to share a few dances with you." She attempted a look that would say "or better yet, many dances."

----------------------

To her pleasure, Theo took on the dancing with solid enthusiasm, guiding her with a deft and gentle touch. Her heart swayed with the melody of the music. At his lead, they glided through each motion with a sure and vibrant step, no matter whether the tempo was fast or slow.

As they came towards the end of their third dance, Jane remarked, "You're really good. I've been getting jealous looks from some of the other girls." She grinned mischievously. "Want to see how jealous we can make 'em?"

Theo smiled back, but with no reciprocal hint of collusion. "Thanks for the offer. But I'll let you go dance with who you want after this."

"Maybe I want to dance with just you all night."

He laughed at that, and she cursed herself for not being more firm.

----------------------

Vyra took a breather from the dance floor. Centaurs were not as suited to dancing as the other races present, and forcing their limbs to follow the wayward, complicated steps with any sort of grace was exhausting. Nearly half her fellows had volunteered for guard duty, but Vyra enjoyed the challenge and dignity of dance.

Donlie stepped up beside her and cleared his throat. "Think he's gonna do it?"

She followed his gaze, ending at Theo. But... "With regard to Jane, or to Varmo?"

"Varmo. Theo's not dancing with anyone now, but he doesn't look like he's preparing to make his move."

"Wait... you think he plans to do it here!?"

"Where else? He told us he's tried to see Varmo several times, and was sent away every time."

"True." She considered. "I doubt he would renege on his own plan. What is he waiting for, then?"

----------------------

Jane took being ditched in good grace. She had wanted to mingle a bit anyhow, and she took the opportunity to try out a few of the other guys on the dance floor. Besides mixing things up a bit, it let her fantasize that she was being approached by a number of suitors, and choosing Theo from among them.

After three or four dances, though, she began to get irritated that Theo wasn't asking her to dance with him again. To make it all the more infuriating, he wasn't asking _anyone_ to dance. He just stood on the sidelines. A girl approached him at one point and seemed to be dropping hints, and Jane's heart tensed. But his response was not encouraging, and the girl wandered off.

_Damn him. If he'd rather stand there by himself than dance with me, then forget... No! I'm not giving up! I'll just keep looking his way, and maybe -_

"Care to dance?"

She almost jumped; the previous dance had just ended. _This is getting ridiculous. _Turning to the young man, who she did not recognize, she smiled politely and said, "Sure. Can you wait here for me a minute?"

He nodded. Pushing through the various gathered folk, she searched the room until she spotted Yeesha seated in an isolated corner. She swallowed, hastily prepared a vague speech, and approached her. "Excuse me, Miss Yeesha?"

The mage turned to her and frowned. Clearing her throat, Jane went on, "Um, hi. I'm Jane. I… I really think it's cool, what you did for Cypress. Um, I was just wondering if you could do me a favor. You see the boy standing by himself over there?"

Yeesha looked, and nodded. "Theo, isn't it?"

"I'm trying to get him to ask me to dance. Could you run interference for me after this next dance?"

"What?" Yeesha frowned more deeply than before.

Pinching nervously at her fingers, she clarified, "If anyone but him looks like he's going to ask me to dance, you take him."

A smile of amusement briefly passed Yeesha's lips. "I'm only one woman, you know."

"I know, I know. But can you at least... try?"

The mage was silent for a moment. "Why are you asking me? I don't know you."

"Well... because you're a hero." She shrugged awkwardly.

"...I'll do what I can."

"Thanks."

The next dance seemed to last an hour, and not only because of her anxiousness to be with Theo again. To ensure that her current partner wouldn't ask for the next dance, and to discourage anyone who might be watching, she made a concerted effort to be as clumsy and awkward as possible. She overdid it a bit, she feared, when she "accidentally" stepped on the end of his long cloak.

When it was over, her partner quickly retreated, and Jane contrived to be as close to Theo without looking suspicious. She immediately began making a show of looking helpless and lost, as though desperate for someone to ask her to dance. A young man moved toward her. Yeesha stepped in on cue.

Watching as Yeesha successfully baited the young man, Jane wished custom would allow women to ask men to dance. The rule made things simpler and smoother, she realized, but the hoops she was having to leap through to get her hands on Theo were simply ridiculous. He still wasn't making a move towards her, and to her dismay she saw another prospect approaching.

Thinking fast, she noted that by lucky happenstance she was between Theo and the other boy. She vented a threatening glare at the newcomer, knowing that Theo wouldn't be able to see it. He backed off. The musicians were just readying their instruments to begin again when Theo at last stepped up. "May I have this dance?"

"I'd love you to," she smiled back at him, inwardly sighing with relief.

The song began. It was a slow piece, with just the right touch of romance to it. As they began moving to the melody, however, Theo said sternly, "You really need to learn to put yourself out there more if you're going to get people to dance with you."

That was too much. "Don't tell me what to do," she snapped. "Who are you to talk, anyway? That girl was crawling all over you, and you didn't ask her."

"...I thought you might need me."

"Oh, I see. You're ragging me for the 'failure' that you expected."

"Why are you so angry?" he asked, a bewildered expression on his face.

"Because you're being a jerk!" she shot back, barely keeping her voice below attention-getting volume. "I said I wanted us to have a good time, and you're just raining over everything."

"What do you want me to do?" he demanded.

"First of all, you're supposed to hold me closer. This is a slow dance. You've got so much space between us that people are going to think one of us has some disease."

He obediently adjusted his hands such that their torsos nearly touched. Jane carefully laid her head to rest on his shoulder. She allowed her eyelids to close, letting out a relaxed sigh. "That's better."

"Okay... that was first of all, you said. What's next?"

"Next is you stop talking," she said gently.

"Oh."

----------------------

Varmo frowned. "That upstart servant is stirring up trouble again."

"Yeesha?" his dance partner said, turning her head to look behind her. "It looks like she's just dancing to me."

"She is, but there was something suspicious about her movements. She had a covert look in her eyes."

"You're not afraid... that she might do something to you, are you?"

Varmo turned his eyes upon her and smiled. "My lovely, I hold no fear for what any man, woman, or beast might do to me."

She let out a quiet giggle, and pulled herself in closer to him. Varmo allowed the matter of Yeesha to slip to the back of his mind. He wasn't really interested in women yet, but it fascinated him how a powerful position, some genteel patter, and a touch of flattery could win them over.


	5. Chapter 5

- Chapter 5 -

"Jane?"

"Mmm?"

"The dance is over. You can let go now. You should, I mean, if you want to find a dance partner..."

Jane lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes in a way that made him uncomfortable. "I think I've had enough dancing for now. How 'bout we go outside?"

"...If that's what you want."

As they headed towards the balcony adjoining the ballroom, Jane stopped and pointed. "Hey, there's Halron. Should we...?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

The beastman was leaning against the wall near the double doors that led out to the balcony. He wore a dark, close fitting suit with frilly cuffs. His mood seemed neutral, which Theo decided to take as a good sign.

Jane cleared her throat. "Halron, isn't it? How are you doing?"

He cast his gaze upon the two of them. "I'm fine." He gave no sign that he recognized Theo from their brief run-in before.

"We haven't seen you on the dance floor," Theo remarked.

"That's not what I'm doing here. Varmo thought there should be someone to keep an eye on the event and deal with troublemakers."

"And you volunteered? Very good of you."

Halron gave a noncommittal grunt, and looked away.

"How are you holding up? Need anything?"

"I'm fine. If you don't mind, I'd rather not have any distractions."

The beastman's tone was openly hostile. Theo decided it would be best to pretend to not notice, to soothe Halron's aggression and dispel his suspicions.

"Sure." He casually took Jane to the door. "We'll see you around, okay?" Halron made no reply as they stepped outside.

"Nice night," Jane said. The air was clear, and the soft silence could be heard now that the noise of the ball was shut behind them.

Theo cleared his throat. "Look... don't get me wrong. I love being with you. But you don't have to stick close to me all night."

Jane gave an exasperated sigh. "You know, Natasha was right about you."

"What do you mean?"

"That time we went on a hike through the woods."

He remembered. They had invited him to come, and he had replied that they didn't have to make the offer, that he didn't want to spoil their fun.

Natasha had blurted out, "'Spoil our fun'? If your eyes weren't focused on your own toes all the time, Theo, you'd realize that people actually like you!" An awkward moment later, she blushed and said, "Uh, I mean... we'd like you to come..."

"It's not true," Theo said to Jane, but he couldn't make his voice sound confident. "She took it back, remember?"

"She took it back because it was an insult, dope," she returned. "Natasha always says the truth."

Theo flushed and stepped back. "You really think I'm too focused on myself?"

"Not exactly," Jane said, wrinkling her brow. "You... you study yourself too much... and you don't seem to like yourself a whole lot. You'd be happier, more confident if you paid attention to what everyone else thinks of you." She came closer and grabbed his hand. His stomach clenched itself into a knot; she was so beautiful. "And that'd make us happier, too."

"It's nice of you to say that."

"There you go again!" She socked him hard in the arm. While he winced and rubbed at the sore spot, she vented at him, "You want to know the truth? I'm glad that no one else asked me to the ball! I was hoping you'd take me. You're the one I wanted to be with. The girls and I spent an hour fixing my hair like this, because I thought you'd like it. Do you get it now?"

He stared back at her, stunned. If he didn't know Jane better, he'd have thought she was playing a prank on him. But he did know. Everything about the night fell into a new light. He saw what she saw now: that he'd been avoiding her.

"I... I get it." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you." She smiled. "If you want, there's a way to make up for all of your... your lack of confidence, in one moment."

"How?"

She stared seriously into his eyes. "Just do whatever comes to mind." She closed her head, tilted her head slightly. Her lips parted.

_Sweet courage, does she want me to kiss her?_

He gave it a moment, but no other possibility occurred to him. "Jane... I can't." She opened her eyes, and he had to take a deep gulp before he could continue. "I said before that it would be awkward for us to be a couple. I still think that. ...It just wouldn't look right! My ugly face, next to your beautiful one..."

"Oh, that's real fair!" she shot back furiously. "How about I take a knife and cut some scars down my face? Will I be ugly enough for you then?"

"It's not like that."

"Of course it isn't. You're not that shallow." She turned her head away, and he saw a tear run down the lovely curve of her cheek. "You just don't want to say that you don't like me."

The words stung like a barbed dagger's first incision. Shallow... that was exactly what he was being, and to a girl that he'd become close to, at that. The truth sickened him.

_Is the only thing keeping us from being a couple our looks?_ He gazed at her... his inescapably pretty friend. _Why am I fighting this? She's so wonderfully kind, so understanding of people, so purely beautiful... and she wants me. Wouldn't I call anyone who threw away this chance a fool?_

The night was silent now that they weren't talking, and they were draped in a mild darkness broken only by the moon and what light came through the cracks of the balcony doors. In this strange void, Theo felt ready - compelled, even - to give in to impulse. He reached out and brought a guiding hand to the cheek Jane had turned from him. The touch startled her, and she turned to look back into his eyes.

He took his time with the approach; this might be the one kiss with a girl he'd ever have, and he wanted to get it right. No bumped noses or conked foreheads. He carefully found the perfect angle to tilt his head, and tenderly brought his lips to hers. To his surprise, her mouth almost immediately opened, but the touch that came was far from unwelcome. He brought one hand to hold her supple waist, while the other slowly caressed the lock of hair that lay upon her shoulder.

They remained like that for some moments, but he had no awareness of time until they parted. She was the first to manage to speak, and her reaction mirrored his own.

"Wow."

He was overcome for a moment, his head sailing. When his thoughts came down to reality, the realization of his mistake hit him like a blow. "I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"You... you mean..."

"No!" he said quickly, alarmed by her crestfallen look. "It was true. But I should have waited. I -" He ran a hand through his hair. _Dammit. Shouldn't have let her care about me this much. Not with what I'm about to do._ "I've got to talk to Varmo."

"Now?"

"Waiting can only make things worse." _Only put it off this long because I wanted Jane to enjoy herself. I've ruined that now._ "Please, whatever happens... don't worry about me." He broke away from her and pulled the double doors open, marching straight towards Varmo.

The music was stopped for the moment. Once he was within a few yards of him, he called out, "Sir Varmo!"

The kyantol looked back into his eyes and smiled. "Sir Theo. I do hope that you don't intend to ask me to dance with you?"

"I want to know when you're going to send a search party for the missing troops."

"Never," Varmo answered, his expression turning serious. "It's not worth the risk."

"Then..." He steadied himself; it was paramount that he say it with confidence. "I challenge you for the leadership of Castle Cypress."

A noticeable hush fell over those close enough to hear. He heard Jane hoarsely speak his name, and felt her hand clasp his arm. The smile returned to Varmo's face. "You think you can lead us?"

"If I win, Irinod will be our leader."

"Is that so? Sir Irinod!" He beckoned to the aged centaur. "Might we have a moment of your time?"

Irinod laid aside his instrument and came forward. The whole assemblage was beginning to take note of the confrontation. "Yes?"

"Do you know of the challenge Theo is making?"

Irinod nodded assent. "I do not approve of his reckless course of action, but if he wins, I will accept the post of leader tempore."

"Very well." Varmo turned to Theo, his face cool and unsmiling. "You understand that such a challenge is decided by combat, which may be to the death if the victor so chooses?"

Theo nodded. The fatality option was a necessary part of the law; before, there had been an alarming number of combatants "accidentally" killing their opponents. Realizing the law against mortal dueling only worked on those who chose to follow it, the then-king of Cypress decreed that all duelists could fight to kill.

"Good. Unfortunately, though, I am an unsuitable opponent for you, being a mage."

Varmo didn't need to say why. If they started their duel at a wide distance apart, Varmo could kill Theo with his spells before he could even reach him. If they started it within arm's reach, Theo could knock Varmo senseless before he could focus his will on a spell. Anything in between would be mutually assured defeat: Theo would be fatally hit by Varmo's magic, but could easily finish the mage off before succumbing to the wounds. Such mismatched duels were not yet outlawed, however, so his challenge was valid. If Varmo declined it, it would be considered a forfeit, and he would lose his post. It was a matter of which of them would blink first at the threat of a battle guaranteed to kill them both. Theo had little doubt it would be Varmo.

"Therefore," Varmo continued, "...I must choose a champion to fight on my behalf. Which is fitting, since Irinod will be similarly having you fight on his behalf. Halron!"

_What... What in a demon's lair...?_

A few seconds passed, and then the small crowd of onlookers parted, waves leaving a wide berth for the powerful beastman. He stepped up to Varmo, eyes glinting with a sort of eagerness to end whatever the trouble was.

"My friend, would you be willing to fight this bold warrior on my behalf, the prize being my post as leader tempore?"

Halron gave Theo only a brief look. "Gladly."

"Wait a minute - you can't do that!" Theo blurted out. "I made my challenge to Varmo! Irinod, tell him the rules -"

"Sorry, my boy," the centaur said sadly. "The law says nothing either way on dueling by proxy. And you've invoked that privilege yourself, by challenging Varmo on my behalf. If you can fight for me, Halron can fight for Varmo. And Varmo knows it."

_No... This wasn't what I wanted. Against Halron it'll just be skill and strength versus skill and strength... and it's a sure bet Halron has more of both._ The beastman stood at least a head taller than him, with hands that could probably break any of his bones with ease, and yellow eyes that regarded him with the same superiority that a predator regards his prey. Jane's hand gripped his tightly, offering her strength, but he still could not stop his legs from trembling.

"Well, Theo, do you withdraw your objection?" Varmo asked with a smug look.

"I... I..."

"Stop taunting the boy, Varmo," Irinod said angrily. "Of course he withdraws it."

"Good." Varmo smiled. "Then perhaps he would like to withdraw his challenge as well?"

Theo couldn't manage to answer. He felt Jane lean in close. She whispered, "Theo... you don't have to do this. Please."

"But... General Mayfair... Dawn, Natasha, Deanna... even Eric..."

"You tried. You can't do anything more."

Would Halron really kill him if he won? He stared into the beastman's eyes, but could find no answer there. He would be gambling with his life if he fought with him. But... he could win. Not likely, but possible.

"I see you need an old man and your lady friend to do your speaking for you now," Varmo observed.

"Varmo, that's enough," Halron broke in. "Theo... that's what he called you, isn't it? No one has even considered facing me in mortal combat before. If you withdraw your challenge now, I would still consider you the bravest man I have ever met."

"I'd back off, my boy," Irinod offered. "It isn't worth it. In younger days I'd have made the challenge myself, but now I'd stand even less chance than you. I've seen Halron fight, the few times he's shown up to the mock battles; he's better than any of the youths here, except maybe Binuto. You'll be incapacitated for weeks, and for nothing."

Theo was silent a moment longer. "No... there is a chance." In a louder voice, he said, "My challenge stands. Name the time and place, please."

"Early afternoon tomorrow," Halron said. "On the practice grounds, naturally. Unless that's too soon for you?"

His heart clenched at the thought of having so little time left to live. But... "Best to get it over with as soon as possible. I accept."

----------------------

Jane lost Theo for a minute in the crowd, but she caught up with him shortly outside the ballroom. "Hey," she called, running up and snatching his arm. "Go ahead and ditch me, why don'tcha."

He looked at her sadly. "Do you really want to hang around with a dead man?"

"You're not dead yet. For one thing, you can still call it off."

"No, I can't." He turned and stared into the distance as they walked along.

She studied him for a moment, biting her lip in thought. "...It wasn't your fault."

He started. "What?"

"Isn't that why you're doing this?" She gently ran the backs of her fingers against his cheek. "Because you weren't there when Varmo was elected. You feel guilty."

"No... it's not guilt." He clenched his fine hands into fists. "I just can't let something like this happen without doing something... I have to do something to change it. I have to try."

"I understand." The thought of him dying when she'd only just found him hurt, but she understood. His urge to help people was what made him a good Cypressian. It was what made him so attractive. As they came around a corner, she pulled him to a stop. "Stop worrying. You're going to beat him."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to beat Halron? How?"

"Because you're fighting for the right thing, darn it," she said, punctuating her point with a little jab at his shoulder. "Because you've got people who care about you. You've got... you've got..."

"The will to win?"

"Yeah." She grasped his hand tightly. "I believe in you."

An immense silence fell over them. Theo broke it by clearing his throat. "I'm sorry I ruined your night."

She smiled. "I was kissed by a hero. Nothing can ruin that." She loosened her grip on his hand. "Would you walk me back to my dormitory?"

----------------------

"You're making a big mistake!" Dave railed against Theo, who was quietly sitting on his bed, stuffing his shirt with rags and other cheap padding. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused just by challenging our leader? How much more trouble you'll be stirring up if you actually manage to overthrow him? Our King and our General are missing, we're at war; we can't deal with an upheaval in our leadership now!"

"Leave him alone," Jane snapped, stepping defensively in front of her morose boyfriend. "He's made up his mind. And I'll bet he put a lot more thought into it than you!"

"Stubborn hypocrites! Both of you!" Dave turned and stormed off. "Throwing the whole castle into chaos for nothing! Very patriotic!"

Dave seethed with anger as he strode down the corridors of the castle. _How could they- Well, it doesn't matter. From what I've seen and heard, no one but Binuto can stand a chance against Halron. And he refuses to take Theo's place in the challenge. A few broken bones ought to teach Theo not to go looking to make trouble. I just hope he doesn't get hurt too badly..._

Opting not to watch the senseless fight, Dave headed for the mess hall to grab a late lunch from the leftovers. As he was about to turn a corner, he suddenly pulled back. On the other side of the hall, leaning beside a door, was Binuto.

Inwardly Dave laughed at himself for his extreme reaction, but Binuto's cold stare could be really unnerving, and he preferred to avoid it. He was probing his brain for any alternate route to the mess hall when the door Binuto was leaning beside opened. Halron stepped out. As the beastman went past Binuto, he pushed himself away from the wall and began following. "Strange..." Dave murmured, and carefully stepped around the corner, becoming a second follower.

They didn't go far before Binuto, skipping sideways, came up beside Halron. "So, Dantom's nephew goes out to fight."

"My name is Halron," he replied coolly, without slowing his pace.

"You know, my parents knew your uncle."

"Did they now."

"Quite intimately, you might say. I remember seeing your uncle slash off every one of my father's fingers on his sword hand. Right before he sliced his head in two from ear to ear. Not a very pretty sight."

"Thank you for sharing." Halron increased his stride.

Binuto was ready, though, and immediately hopped in front of him, bringing him to a stop. "Some might say atrocities like those committed by your uncle are enough to damn his family for generations to come."

"While others might say the fact that he risked his life to protect several of his prisoners redeems him somewhat."

"Prisoners... you mean the Guardianans." Binuto sneered. "I guess the pleas of their soft hearts were more moving to him than the agonized cries of his countrymen."

"I wouldn't know. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He brushed past the burly youth.

"Wait a moment. Does this belong to you?" Binuto pulled out a thick book, holding it up for Halron to see. The title was written in huge letters, and by squinting Dave could make out the words "Apex of the World".

Halron turned and, apparently recognizing the book, growled, "Give that back."

"Of course; that's why I brought it." Halron stepped forward and Binuto handed him the book. As soon as it left his hand, everything that lay between the two covers spilled out in a shower of confetti. Halron was left clasping a hollow binding.

Binuto shrugged. "I did some practice with my knife on it."

"Binuto!" Dave cried out, stepping from where he hid in the shadow of a doorway. "Have you lost your mind!?" He knew Binuto could be cold, rude… even heartless. But he'd never seen him act with cruelty.

The only reaction Binuto showed to his outburst was an instant's glance, and Halron gave no sign of having heard him at all. Dave swallowed. _Oh no... He's trying to goad Halron into a fight so that he can kill him. And I'm a witness! Once he's finished off Halron..._

Though he continued to glare at Binuto with dangerous hatred, Halron was the one to break the silence. "All of you are worms," he said slowly, his voice thick with the subtle snarl of a tiger. "Pathetic maggots. And you've just volunteered yourself as one of the ones I'm going to crush. Unlike you, however, I believe in following protocol. You will fall on a fair battlefield, and your last scream will be approved by the judges." He dropped the remnant of his book and walked away.

Dave stood dumbfounded. Binuto turned and gave him a thin smile. "The old proverb is right. Revenge _is_ sweet."

----------------------

Picking at him, always picking at him... like little goblins. Easy to crush beneath his fists, yet they kept on tearing away at him without reason...

Halron clenched his fists as he headed out towards the practice grounds. He'd had enough; it was time to take something back. He would see their blood spilt today.


	6. Chapter 6

- Chapter 6 -

Varmo eased back in the chair set out for him on the practice grounds. He was quite pleased by Theo's challenge. Though Halron professed to have no interest in fighting, Varmo could sense that his built-up anger was itching to release itself. This bout would be good therapy for him.

More importantly, the spoils of his victory over Theo was that no one could again declare a formal challenge to his leadership - at least not on Irinod's behalf, and there were no other contenders for the post. Furthermore, he'd have again proven his ability to resolve problems without loss of life. His position would be more secure than ever.

Varmo wondered if Theo had any inkling of the great favor he was doing for him. _Probably not. Do-gooders tend to be blind to everything but their own good intentions._

Halron arrived on the field and purposefully moved to stand in front of him. Varmo frowned as he watched him come. Something seemed wrong; his friend's eyes appeared to blaze.

"Halron?" he probed.

"Where is he?" Halron asked in an impatient tone.

"Getting ready, I guess. He'll probably get here in a few minutes." His friend's only response was a grunt. He didn't even comment on his lapse into his old manner of speech.

Varmo shrugged it off. He was near an important victory; what could possibly stop him now? Whatever the matter was with Halron, it was nothing to worry about.

Theo turned up just moments later. He was flanked on one side by the castle gardener, and on the other by the girl he'd seen him with at the ball. He briefly wondered if he was doing this to impress her, but dismissed the notion; the human was too pure-hearted.

"We don't need to do this, Varmo," Theo said as he took his place in front of Irinod, loudly so that all who had gathered to witness the fight could hear. "If you just send out a rescue party for the missing troops, I'll drop the challenge. I'll gladly be part of the party."

"No," Varmo said. "We need all battle-worthy men here, to guard the castle."

"All we'll need for the rescue party is ten men."

"Those ten men could be the difference between whether or not an attack from Iom is repelled. I can't spare them."

"Come on. We could even do with just eight men."

"No."

"Six men," Theo persisted. "Just let six men go, and we'll bring our troops back safe and sound."

Varmo wavered a moment, but concluded, "No. To send only six would be condemning those six to death."

"Like you've condemned General Mayfair and the others?"

Varmo was tempted to let a pause fall in order to call attention to the rudeness of Theo's question, but he remembered the advice Halron had given him on dealing with the human. "If Theo's as well-liked as you say," Halron had said, "...you'll have no success in vilifying him to the crowd. You could even make yourself look bad by trying." Baring his lips, Varmo responded, "I have condemned no one to die. If they are still alive, they do not need our assistance. You are wasting your efforts."

It was a risky argument; Theo might actually listen and withdraw the challenge. But Varmo needed the people to see him as the reasonable leader. Theo answered, "I won't accept that. They're alive, and we owe them all the help we can give."

"You're being stubborn."

"Yes, I am." He gave a shake of his head. "Let's get this over with."

His words were bold, but Varmo noticed he was slightly trembling.

----------------------

Before Theo could take his position, Vyra suddenly galloped up, blocking the way. "Theo, you mustn't do this. If you won't think of yourself, think of Jane! She cares about you."

Theo lowered his head, struggling with himself. "I'm sorry I let her get close to me at a time like this," he said to Vyra, voice trembling with shame. "But if Jane wants me to give up, all she has to do is ask. She's actually supported my doing this."

Vyra scraped at the ground with a hoof. "If you won't withdraw the challenge, then... let me take your place."

Theo looked up at her in surprise. "Why the change of heart?"

"Because you've returned Jane's affections. I don't want to see her lose you."

After a second's thought, he smiled at her and shook his head. "Thanks for the gesture. But Jane needs you more than me. She's only gotten close to me recently; I can't give her support like you can. Besides... from what I hear, no one can match Halron for strength and fighting ability. The only area we can beat him in is agility. You're a centaur. You wouldn't last five seconds." He gave Vyra a friendly pat on her equine frame. "Us humans are renowned for our agility. I still think you would've been the better choice against Varmo, but against Halron..."

"So, you believe you can prevail over him?"

"I would have withdrawn the challenge if I didn't. I swear I would have."

"Enough dallying, lad," Eru cut in. "If you have any doubts at all, withdraw the challenge. If you don't, now's the time to step up."

Theo nodded; Vyra was already backing off. But suddenly a voice cried out, "Wait!" Eru groaned at the new interruption, and Theo turned to see Dave breaking through the crowd. The youth stumbled up to him and gasped out, "You can't fight Halron. Binuto was bullying him just now; he's in a bad mood times ten. He said something about crushing worms... Theo, he's ready to kill someone."

"You've got some nerve," Jane said, shoving him away from Theo. "Trying to scare him out of the fight. Lying to get your way is a new low for you."

"It's the truth!" Dave protested. "If you send him out there, it's murder. Theo, he'll kill you!"

"Would you -"

"Easy, Jane," Theo interrupted. In spite of himself, his heart sank at the words, "he'll kill you". The last thing he wanted was for them to fight about it. "I'm sure Dave believes what he says. But Dave, you're overreacting. Halron wouldn't kill me just because he was in a bad mood."

"Do you know him!? Huh?"

"My mind's made up, Dave. It's a risk I have to take."

As he turned back towards Halron, Jane caught him from behind and planted a kiss on his cheek, sending a flurry of feeling through his breast. "You can do it," she whispered in his ear.

Eru clapped a hand on Theo's knee. "No fear, lad. Fear will kill you every time; that's the way of battle. Just remember everything I taught you this mornin'."

Theo sighed inwardly as he stepped into position. He could remember it all, but wondered how much of it he could execute properly. There'd been no time to practice.

"Warriors," announced one of the judges, a young dwarf, "...choose your weapons."

"Bo," Theo answered. The choice of weapon was mostly formality, of course. A centaur already stood ready with a long pole of hardened bamboo, which he handed off to Theo as soon as he spoke.

The instant this was done, Halron said "Bo."

_What... the...? _With rare exceptions, beastmen never bothered to master weapons. Their bare hands could do lethal damage already, and were more intimately connected with their intent. The only beastman Theo knew to have wielded a weapon was Dantom, and he had probably adopted the sword mainly for its ceremonial value. What was Halron playing at? Theo looked to Varmo, as he was much easier to read. But the kyantol looked nearly as puzzled as he was.

It took several minutes to comply with Halron's unusual request, but at length they found a second bo. It was inferior to Theo's: roughly a foot shorter, and made of wood. While the judges read the rules of formal battles, Theo smiled awkwardly at Halron and said, "Sorry we have to get to know each other this way." The beastman said nothing. Theo noticed he had an improper grip on his bo, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that he was simply pretending to be unfamiliar with the weapon.

Varmo announced, "Well, the rest of it is just formalities, is it not? Are the participants ready?" They nodded. "Begin!"

They started at a room's width apart. Halron bounded across this distance in under two seconds. Panicking, Theo rolled away from his opponent, tucking his staff against his belly. He'd expected Halron to be fast, but not _this_ fast. In spite of his quick maneuver, the beastman was upon him again in a second.

Theo brought his bo up over his head, stopping Halron's strike. The impact sent shudders through his bones. He stared at Halron's face looming high above him, and his throat went dry at the fury in those eyes.

Halron increased his attacks, striking on every side in quick succession. But the onslaught only served to restore Theo's hopes. He was comforted to find that Halron had not been feigning his inexperience with the bo; in spite of his speed, the blows were not difficult to deflect. It also made him realize how foolish his fear at Halron's strength was. So long as he wasn't clumsy enough to stop a direct blow again, he would never need to feel more than a fraction of that strength.

His skill could even be used to turn that strength against his foe. Theo parried a strike aside at the last instant, making Halron over-commit his momentum. Even with his beastman reflexes, he could not recover before Theo struck him a hard blow to the head.

Though the stroke plainly hurt, rage did not make Halron clumsy. He nearly caught Theo by surprise with an underhanded stroke. Halron was getting the idea of it pretty quickly.

_Have to take the offensive fast._ Focusing beyond his situation, Theo called to mind his store of techniques, devising a plan of attack. Halron was still predictable enough that he could plan in advance, and Theo executed his pre-conceived series of moves. Halron faltered, only narrowly blocking even feints, and in a moment Theo scored a trio of hits on both sides of his head and his shoulder.

He underestimated the beastman's speed, however, and his attack left him open just long enough for Halron to strike him at the right underarm. The blow rocked him with pain and sent him tumbling to the earth. Halron closed in.

Lying half-dazed on the ground, Theo quickly realized his danger: if he let Halron on top of him, it would be all over. He'd never be able to get out from under his strength. Noting that Halron's defense was still crude, Theo raised his bow and stabbed hard into his solar plexus just as he reached him. He tumbled to the ground, giving Theo time to get back to his feet.

He froze at the sound of a snarl coming from Halron's lips. Rising from the ground, Halron took his bo in both hands and snapped it in two. He held the two pieces like daggers. What would have been a laughable gesture for most creatures was frightening in this instance; with Halron's strength, he could thrust the jagged broken end of a bo right through his heart. There was no question now: Halron was out for his blood.

He lunged for Theo, who parried to the side, narrowly dodging the sharp stakes. _Jeez! Gotta disarm him..._ He made a wide, one-handed sweep with his staff, knocking the shaft from his right hand.

This time, it was Halron's skill he had underestimated. Even left-handed, the beastman managed a thrust that smoothly bypassed his defenses. Only by turning aside was Theo able to avoid a fatal cut. Instead, the broken staff plunged deep into his side, not far below his left arm.

For an instant Theo stared at it in shock, the pain immense, the sound of Jane's dismayed cry heart-rending, but neither able to match the simple horror of nearly a foot of tapered wood penetrating his body. A new anger flooded through him, a rage that was entirely personal.

_He's trying to kill me!_ his mind screamed. _I never did any wrong to him, and LOOK AT WHAT HE'S DONE TO ME!_ He slammed the end of his staff full-force into Halron's belly, doubling him over. He followed it up with a swing at his head.

Halron caught the staff before it could hit and punched Theo in the chest, knocking him back and pulling the bo from his grip. The landing tore Halron's crude pike from Theo's side, ripping out a chunk of flesh. This time, however, Theo refused to let the pain overcome him, immediately retaliating with a kick to the paw holding his bo. He caught it as it fell from Halron's sore fingers.

Anger fueled him now. He wasn't fighting Varmo any more; he was fighting Halron. For his survival, for his dignity. He reminded himself that there was the lives of Natasha and the others riding on this as well, and that intensified his will. Readying himself, he backed off and waited for Halron.

The beastman was unarmed now, making him more of a challenge than ever. He moved towards Theo, who responded by launching himself into a flip that landed him behind Halron. Without sparing an instant, he swept his bo over his foe's head and pulled it against his throat. He only managed to choke him a second before Halron threw him over his shoulder. As he landed, however, he slammed his staff back into Halron's jaw in a blind thrust. He immediately followed through by sweeping the beastman's legs out from under him.

_It worked... my agility threw him off guard. My one advantage trumped his two._ Theo aimed his staff for a finishing blow.

Then he froze. He saw his foe laying there, temporarily helpless, and recognized who he was. A man hardened by cold, cruel treatment from his peers... treatment he did not deserve. He'd never been given a chance. His rage, his distrust, were only defenses against cruelty and ostracism.

The pain that suddenly struck Theo's heart became irrelevant against the pain of Halron's foot punching into his chest. It was a calculated kick, and besides the searing pain, his muscles seemed to have lost all function. He fell face first to the ground. Halron's hand wrapped around his neck and lifted him off his feet. The beastman's face blurred in his vision. He struggled to do something, anything, to break free, but his body would not listen to his mind's instructions. The only thing to do was prepare for death.

_Jane... I'm so sorry..._

"Yield."

He blinked an eye. "Wh...whuh?"

"Do you yield?"

_All that rage in his eyes... and he isn't going to kill me after all?_ "Yes..."

"The challenge is finished," a judge announced. "Varmo is the victor."

Halron deposited him on the ground. Jane was immediately there, holding him up into a sitting position. A healer was at the ready as well to end to the injury in his side. Varmo must have sent for one when he got hurt.

"Thank the gods," Jane said breathlessly. She looked up at Halron. "I was so scared... I thought you were going to kill him."

"Perhaps I would have," Halron answered. "But it would not have been fair; he did not truly lose the fight. It was his hesitation that cost him the victory... hesitation brought on by compassion, not lack of skill. I could not slay one who only lost because he cared for me." He cast a brief glance at Theo. "I pray that your injuries are soon healed, warrior." He turned and walked away.

Watching him go, Theo murmured, "He's lying."

"What do you mean?" Jane asked.

"He couldn't have -" He broke off for a gasp of pain as the healer pulled free one of the splinters lodged in his side. "...couldn't have made that move if he was as dazed as I thought. He must have rolled with my hits... he wasn't vulnerable to me at all, even before I hesitated." He looked sadly at Jane. "I think he was going to win anyway."

Jane bit her lip. "You mean... he spared your life... just out of thankfulness for one moment of compassion? Poor guy..."

Theo nodded. "I wish... I wish I'd known him sooner..."

"Man!" The two of them looked to see Dave approaching, Binuto hovering just behind. "You lucked out there somehow, Theo. Thought you were a goner for sure."

"Told you he wouldn't kill me just because of a bad mood. So you came to watch, huh, Binuto. Even though you wouldn't fight Halron yourself."

"Yeah." Binuto shook his head. "Very disappointing fight you put up there, Theo. Very disappointing."

Dave turned and looked up at Binuto, face slowly wrinkling in suspicion. "Hey, wait a minute... You wanted Halron to kill Theo!"

"Huh?" Jane exclaimed. "What the heck are you talking about?"

"He hates Halron because of what happened to his parents," Dave explained, still glaring at Binuto. "He knows how well-liked Theo is. So he taunted Halron... got him all riled up... so that he'd kill Theo in the fight. If anyone out there had any love for Halron at all, they sure wouldn't after that! That's why you wouldn't take on the challenge against Varmo! You wanted to shame Halron before you killed him."

"Oh, please!" Binuto said, his voice laced with anger. "I'm sick of your paranoid rants, David. Did it occur to you that I might have been getting Halron angry so he'd be careless and predictable, making him easy to defeat? Theo couldn't even get that right. Next time you should think before you open your mouth," he finished, poking Dave in the chest with his index finger. He turned and stalked off.

"...Man, I hate that guy," Dave muttered, loud enough for Theo to hear. "I'd challenge him to a duel right now, if it weren't for the fact that just a look from him makes me soil myself."

"Theo..." Jane said. "Do you think Dave's right about him?"

"I..." he gasped out as the healer worked at pulling free the last few splinters, "...I'm sorry, but... I just don't care about that right now."

"Oh, right. Sorry." She lightly massaged his shoulders. "You're so tough."

"I guess." He sighed. "Jane... people like you and me don't really change anything, do we?"

She looked like she didn't know what to say, so he went on, "We're not like Natasha or Yeesha or Varmo. I mean, look at this fight... I've accomplished nothing here. Nothing but causing you and Vyra and Dave a lot of grief, and picking up a lot of bruises. And Halron nearly bloodied his hands because of me..."

"No, he didn't!" Jane returned. "You showed him that someone could care about him. He would never kill someone who did that. You did the right thing for him." She kissed his sweaty mop of hair. "It doesn't matter if we don't really change things; we have to be who we are. We have to keep trying. 'Cause someday, it might make a difference. Maybe you even made a difference for Halron."

"Yeah..." he said, finally managing to raise one of his arms to wipe some of the blood from his mouth. "Maybe you're right."

"Wonderful," Dave remarked dryly. "So neither of you has learned anything from this whole mess. Well, what can I expect." He shrugged and walked off.

Jane frowned. "Someone needs a serious attitude adjustment."

"Jane..." Theo reached out and lovingly clasped her free hand. "Thank you so much, for standing by me in my foolishness - or heroism, if you'd rather. I don't know what I'd have done without a lady like you by... by my..."

Their eyes met. Neither moved as silent words passed between them. The stillness remained for long moments, until Theo, in a fit of bravado, raised her hand to bestow on it a kiss. Vyra, who stood nearby, smiled in pleased amusement.

----------------------

"Well done, my friend," Varmo complimented Halron as they headed towards his quarters. "Though there was no need to hurt him. He is above all a loyal Cypressian, and I'm sure he won't make any trouble now that his chance to overthrow me is lost." He grimaced. "If I have people unnecessarily brutalized, that makes me little better than Woldol. You weren't under the impression that I'm... bloodthirsty, were you?"

"No."

Varmo studied him curiously. "Is something wrong?"

"...I feel like I just lost a good friend."

Varmo smiled. "I'm right here."

"So you are." Yet somehow, that didn't seem like anything to cheer about anymore. Varmo had been good to him, and for that he was grateful. But the kyantol was arrogant, frivolous, and sometimes tiresome. There was no use denying it: he didn't like Varmo all that much. Now he knew that he could have chosen a better friend, but it was too late.

"By the way, did Apex of the World ever turn up?"

Halron scowled. "Binuto stole it. And destroyed it."

"What? ...You're sure?"

"He did it right in front of me. In his childish little way."

Varmo shook his head. "I'm sorry to hear it. Well, what would you like for his punishment? We can even arrange an 'accident' if you feel that strongly about it."

"I want nothing done to him yet, thank you. I plan to deal with him myself. His time will come."

"Very well. However, if your book's been destroyed, then there's no reason not to give you this now." Coming to a stop, he reached into his robes and took out a book. As Halron accepted it from him, he read the words on the cover: "Apex of the World".

"How...?" he got out, astonished.

"I found a copy in King Nicholas's personal collection this morning. It seemed like a good reward for dealing with Theo." Varmo made a lopsided smile. "Of course, if His Majesty should return, we'll in all likelihood have to restore it to him. But for now at least, it's yours. Sorry that I couldn't do better."

Halron opened the book to a random page, ascertaining that it really was the same book in readable condition. "...Thank you," he said in a choked voice.

"You're welcome. Now come on," Varmo said, picking up the pace once more. "Our little victory calls for a celebration, and I think I've still got some of that wine left."

END


End file.
